The concept of heritage has become a powerful tool for the development of cities and regions. It is used by both governmental organisations and (inter)national academic institutions as a basis for policies, projects, and activities.
However, it is important to realise that cultural heritage is not something static or eternal. In fact, it is a dynamic process: each human society chooses what should be preserved for the future and what should be lost (and sometimes forgotten). These choices are often based on political and economic considerations as well as social values and cultural assumptions.
According to the Central European University Cultural Heritage Studies Programme, the concept of heritage developed as a result of complex historical processes and is continuously evolving. Different groups of people recognize different values and thus create categories like world heritage, national heritage, etc. These categories reflect a particular perspective on heritage, which in turn influences the ways in which it is dealt with and promoted.
Intangible cultural heritage includes traditions, oral history, social practices, traditional craftsmanship, representations and rituals that are transmitted from generation to generation within a given community. Examples of such intangible cultural heritage include tango and flamenco, the Mediterranean diet, the gastronomic tradition of the Viennese coffee houses, Chinese shadow puppetry, the art of Kabuki theatre, vedic chanting and the polyphonic singing of the Aka of Central Africa.
Cultural heritage can be a source of inspiration for the future and a means to promote sustainable development, but it is also prone to being exploited for economic gain or political ambitions. The recent destruction of Palmyra and other cultural sites is a grim reminder of this danger. This is why it is important to safeguard our cultural heritage through research and education, and to make sure that it remains accessible to the public.
It is also important to promote a holistic approach that focuses on the interconnection between culture, heritage and sustainability. This is the approach adopted by UNESCO in 2015, with the aim of linking cultural heritage to global challenges such as poverty alleviation and the empowerment of marginalised communities (economic dimension); climate change and biodiversity protection (environmental dimension) and peace building and sustainable development through culture and cultural exchanges (social dimension).
In addition to this, it is necessary to foster critical thinking skills at an early age. One of the best tools to achieve this is through education, especially at the pre-school and primary school level. For example, the UNESCO-led project “Playing to Think: A Pedagogical Approach to Historical and Cultural Heritage for Children” provides educators with a range of activities that allow students to learn how to identify and analyze heritage sites, objects and events.
The preservation of written cultural heritage documents is an important aspect of preserving cultural heritage, as it allows researchers and the general public to access valuable information from the past. This is why it is essential to use an adaptable handwritten text recognition solution, such as Transkribus, which enables you to convert digital scans of manuscripts and other cultural heritage documents into searchable text.